Anchorage, AK

Did you know? Lunch hour fishing is popular in Downtown Anchorage. It's common to see business people leave their offices around noon, throw on some waders and catch a salmon in Ship Creek, the river that flows through downtown.

Overview of Anchorage

Anchorage is Alaska's most populous city with around 300,000 residents. The city's built on a lush peninsula on the shores of Cook Inlet at the foothills of the Chugack Mountains. Anchorage supports nearly 50 urban parks and is home to 4 institutions of higher learning. The city boasts a vibrant, diverse economy and is a popular destination for alpine skiers, whale watchers, snowmobile enthusiasts and dogsledders.

Different Neighborhoods in Anchorage:

Check out some of the different neighborhoods Anchorage has to offer.

Campbell Park:
In the foothills of the massive nature preserve of the same name, Campbell Park is a residential neighborhood 15 minutes southeast of Downtown. The neighborhood is home to Tudor Elementary School and is a few blocks from University of Alaska Anchorage.

Downtown
The business, culture and dining capital of Anchorage is its modern Downtown, which is home to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, the Anchorage Museum, several parks and scores of contemporary eateries.

Fairview
Fairview is a mixed use, business and residential neighborhood just east of Downtown. Fairview is home to the Chester Creek Sports Complex, the Ben Boeke public ice arena and Sullivan Arena, which hosts concerts, sporting events and conventions.

Midtown
Midtown stretches from Downtown to Campbell Park. The area hosts several shopping centers, movie theaters, big box stores, the Z. J. Loussac Public Library and the Cuddy Family Midtown Park and pond.

Taku
Taku is directly west of Campbell Park and is the home of Taku Lake, Blueberry Lake and Tina Lake as well as The Dome, an indoor recreational sporting facility.

Top 5 Anchorage Adventures

Experience wilderness majesty at the Iditarod:
Each year in March, the world's greatest mushers converge on Anchorage for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a 1000-mile trek through the frozen wilderness from Anchorage to Nome.

Cruise alongside wild orcas in Kenai Fjords National Park:
Not only can you see killer whales on a Kenai Fjords Boat Tour, you can see glaciers, wild foxes, bears, moose and a few hundred friendly icebergs.

Embrace the cold at the Town Square Winter Center's Crystal Gallery of Ice:
Every January, ice carvers from across the globe converge on downtown Anchorage to compete in the Crystal Gallery of Ice. They have 2 days to finish their sculptures, which are displayed until the end of February.

Kiss winter goodbye at the Spring Carnival:
To simultaneously mourn and celebrate the end of ski season each April, the Alyeska Resort holds its annual Spring Carnival, featuring events like the Dummy Downhill, the Idiot Swim Across and the Slush Cup.

Get Rondy at the the Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival:
In the dead of winter folks need to let the fur fly at the Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival, a.k.a. the Rondy. This 10-day funfest includes snowshoe softball, outhouse races and the epic Running of the Reindeer.